“The best part? Everyone in this video has Down syndrome. And they focus on the good things — reminding people, especially parents who might be worried about what the journey of parenting a child with Down syndrome will be like, that people who have Down syndrome can do all the important things that any parent values. They can go to school, travel, work, make friends, and express their love for their parents, friends, and family. They’re honest about the fact that it can be hard—but isn’t parenting always hard?”

This video comes at an especially significant time considering the recent story of a mom leaving her husband and son because he was born with down syndrome.

“Rabbit and Bear Paws, two brothers, are the main characters of a comic series set in 1750’s colonized North America. Using Traditional Native Teachings and humor, the stories are based on THE SEVEN FIRES PROPHECIES and THE SEVEN GRANDFATHERS. For those that don’t know The Seven Grandfather Teachings are: Courage, Wisdom, Honesty, Truth, Humility, Respect and Love.
“The characters will travel to different parts of the country, from coast to coast in new humorous adventures. In those adventures we will learn about the different cultures and the gifts that they contributed to modern society.”
The creators of the series also made puppets to go along with the comics. These puppets travel to pow wows, schools and other community gatherings to bring laughter and values to the kids.”

Check out more of the piece the powwows.com did on the series HERE
and also the Rabbit and Bear Paws site HERE

” Simply put, because of the development of their pre-frontal cortex, young people tend not to make clear connections between a behavior and the punishment or consequence they will receive. Instead, we need to activate consideration of the values you’ve instilled in them over their lives because it will appeal to the more developed parts of the brain that rely on pattern.”

Very interesting read, and I have to say I definitely agree with the overall message of the article,
” Something that’s easy to forget is that bullying is entirely preventable. Don’t listen to those who tell you, “Bullying has always been around. There’s nothing we can do! Kids will be kids!”

Bullying ends when we work together in community to address the root causes of bullying behavior, and some of the most central stakeholders in that work are the parents of our communities.

By taking ownership for this problem and by being proactive, we can help to ensure that every single student feels fully supported in who they are and that no student has to endure the pain and self-hate that can come from bullying.

We simply must realize the power we have to make this needed change.”

Read the full piece HERE with full lists of things to keep watch for and suggestions for how to address them!

This entire story is terrible, and my heart goes out to that beautiful little girl. How do they think all this is going to effect her? Smdh

“Yes, I’m judging the hell out of this entire situation. First, all of this veiled racism is bullshit. Stereotypical attitudes? Circumstances of birth? Wrongful birth? Breach of Warranty? This is about racism and anti-Blackness. We don’t need to avoid those phrases; we need to use them. This is about a white lesbian who was totally fine with her racist relatives and the lack of Black people in her life until she birthed a half-Black baby girl. This is how you can be a white lesbian and not be an ally.”

Some will remember this family in particular from a few months ago when they won their battle to treat their child with traditional medicines and practices and to forgo western chemo treatments at McMaster. Now they are facing another battle with courts, McMaster and CAS to return their daughter to chemo.

Excellent piece to start conversation around motherhood and expectations, of womyn in particular.

“This is why speaking frankly about motherhood matters, and why support matters, because what any one woman cannot summon can be summoned by the village, if it exists. And what matters even more than that is giving women the resources to cope with whatever their experience is, and the space to sort through the complex feelings that accompany it, a way for a woman to be a mother and still human, still flawed, still something other than merely an endless vessel of giving. Because as in everything, what we think we “want” is but a sliver of the picture.”

Read it in full with links to first hand experiences HERE. I thought the shares were very honest and brave, very necessary to the conversation as I am SURE these womyn are not alone in their feelings and experiences.